[azsportsterman]

Why would they be ordered destroyed prior to 9/11?

The destruction had nothing to do with 9/11. It was all about CYA. Identifying US persons as possible terrorists by the military would have placed a very bright spotlight on our intelligence gathering agencies and methods.

The destruction was probably ordered to get rid of the evidence that could be used (ACLU?) to show attempts were made to identify these suspects to the agency (FBI) legally responsible for conducting surveillance of persons within this country.

[jimbo123]

You need to read this if you haven't already:

MILITARY 'SPIED' ON RICE (More Able Danger leaks from Specter staffers)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1471803/posts

The private contractors working for the counter-terrorism unit Able Danger lost their jobs in May 2000. The firings following a series of analyses that Pentagon lawyers feared were dangerously close to violating laws banning the military from spying on Americans, sources said.

The Pentagon canceled its contract with the private firm shortly after the analysts — who were working on identifying al Qaeda operatives — produced a particularly controversial chart on proliferation of sensitive technology to China, the sources said.

Sources said the private contractors, using sophisticated computer software that sifts through massive amounts of raw data to establish patterns, came up with a chart of Chinese strategic and business connections in the U.S.

[Enchante]

There is one account of a big (internal) fuss about ABLE DANGER in May 2000 (during Clinton administration) when the private contractor doing at least a key segment of the work was abruptly fired (see below). But I have the strong impression that AD was not terminated as a program until Feb. 2001 -- I'll try to find the link for that, it's somewhere on the 'ATTA' list of threads.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1471803/posts

---

[from NY Post story linked above]:

Cyber-sleuths working for a Pentagon intelligence unit that reportedly identified some of the 9/11 hijackers before the attack were fired by military officials, after they mistakenly pinpointed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other prominent Americans as potential security risks, The Post has learned.

The private contractors working for the counter-terrorism unit Able Danger lost their jobs in May 2000. The firings following a series of analyses that Pentagon lawyers feared were dangerously close to violating laws banning the military from spying on Americans, sources said.

The Pentagon canceled its contract with the private firm shortly after the analysts — who were working on identifying al Qaeda operatives — produced a particularly controversial chart on proliferation of sensitive technology to China, the sources said.

-snip-

Sources said the private contractors, using sophisticated computer software that sifts through massive amounts of raw data to establish patterns, came up with a chart of Chinese strategic and business connections in the U.S.

-snip-

The China chart was put together by James Smith, who confirmed yesterday that his contract with the military was canceled and he was fired from his company because the military brass became concerned about the focus on U.S. citizens.

-snip-

"It was shut down in a matter of hours. The colonel said our service was no longer needed and told me: 'You just ended my career.' "